Question:
What are the virtues of Tahajjud Prayer??
Answer:
SOME VIRTUES OF THE TAHAJJUD PRAYER.
Allah says, “Among the people of the Book there is an upright community who recites the verses of Allah during the moments of the night; and they even prostrate. They believe in Allah and the Last Day and enjoin righteousness and prohibit from wrong; and they vie with each other in righteous deeds; and they rank among the virtuous ones.
And whatever virtue they do, never will they be denied (of its recompense). And Allah is Well Apprised of those who ward-off evil.” (Surah Aale Imraan, verse 114, 115, 116)
Allah says, “And during some portions of the night, well thou should perform Tahajjud with the recital of the Qur’an, as a supererogatory practice for thee. Soon thy Sustainer will raise thee to Muqaam-e-Mahmood (the Laudable Standing).” (Surah Bani Isra’eel, verse 79)
In Surah Furqaan, verse 64 Allah states, “And the devotees of the Gracious (Allah) are those who walk gently on earth, and when the ignorant address them, they say: “(We choose) peace,”
And who pass the night while prostrating and standing before their Sustainer.”
Allah says, “Their sides remain aloof from the beds. They call unto their Cherisher in fear and expectation, and they spend of what We provided them with.
Well, no soul knows what things for the coolness of the eyes is kept concealed for
them; a recompense for their deeds.” (Surah Sajdah verse 16, 17)
In Surah Zumar, verse 9, Allah says, “Or, can he who remains in devotion during the moments of the night in a prostrating and standing position, who even dreads the hereafter and anticipates the benevolence of his Sustainer, (be equal to him who is bent on disobedience)? Say: “Are the enlightened ones and the illiterate equal?” The truth is that only men of understanding take heed.
In Surah Thariyaat, Allah says, “
Abu Hurairah (RA) reported that Nabi (SAW) said, “The best fast after the fast of Ramadan is the fast of Muharram and the best Salaah after the obligatory prayers is the prayer performed at night.” (Muslim)
Uqbah bin Aamir (RA) says that he heard Nabi (SAW) saying, “A man from amongst my follower’s stands up to offer prayers in the night. He goes to perform ablution, but he has knots tied upon him. When he washes his hands, one knot is opened. When he washes his face, another knot is opened. When he wipes his head, another knot is opened. When he washes his feet, another knot is opened. Allah then addresses the angels behind the veils saying, “Look at this servant of mine who is preparing himself in order to ask of my favours. Whatever My servant asks, I will give it to him”. (Ahmad, Ibne Hibbaan)
Jaabir (RA) says that he heard Nabi (SAW) saying, “Certainly in the night, there is a moment in which, if coincided by a submissive person asking Allah of the good of this world and the hereafter, Allah gives him whatever he asks for, and that is the entire night. (Muslim)
Abdullah bin Salaam says, “When the Nabi of Allah (SAW) firstly came to Medina, all of the people rushed towards him. I was one from amongst them. When I looked at his (SAW) face and I was very certain that it was him, I realized that his face was not the face of a liar. Abdullah bin Salaam continues saying that from amongst the first things that I heard him (SAW) saying was, “O people, Spread the greeting amongst yourselves and feed others and join family relationships and perform prayers in the night when people are asleep, you will enter Paradise peacefully. (Tirmidhi, Ibne Majah, Hakim and he says that this Hadith fits the conditions of Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Maalik Al-Ash’ari narrates that Nabi (SAW) says, “Certainly in the paradise, there are chambers. Its outside can be seen from inside and its inside can be seen from outside. Allah has prepared these chambers for those who feeds others and spreads salaams and performs Salaah in the night when people are asleep. (Ibne Hibbaan)
Abu Hurairah (RA) says, “I said, “O Nabi of Allah, whenever my eyes fall upon you, I am overjoyed and my eyes are cooled. Inform me of everything? Nabi (SAW) said, “Everything is created from water”, and then I asked him to inform me of an act, that if I do it, I will enter into paradise. He (SAW) said, “Feed others and spread Salaams and join family ties and pray at night when people are asleep, you will enter paradise peacefully”. (Ahmad, Ibne Hibbaan, Hakim)
Asmaa binte Yazeed (RA) narrates that Nabi (SAW) said, “On the day of resurrection, the people will be gathered upon one plain field and an announcer will proclaim saying, “where are those who separated their sides from their beds? A little amount of people will stand up. They will enter paradise without reckoning, and then it will be ordered that the remaining people be taken to reckoning”. (Baihaqi)
Ali (RA) says that I heard Nabi (SAW) saying, “Certainly in paradise, there is a tree. Clothing comes out from the top and golden horses come out from the bottom. The saddle and reigns are of rubies and precious stones. It does not defecate or urine. It has wings. Every step it takes is to the termination of the glances. The people of paradise will mount it and it will fly with them wherever the desire. Those who are below them in stages will say, “O my Sustainer, what did your servants do that caused them to attain this entire honour? Nabi (SAW) said, “it will be said to them that they were praying at night whilst you were sleeping and they fasted and you were eating and they were fighting and you were cowards.” (Ibnu Abid Dunyaa)
Abdullah bin Mas’ood said that Nabi (SAW) said, “The virtue of prayers performed in the night over Salaah performed in the day (Nafl) is like the virtue of charity given secretly over charity given openly.” (Tabraani)
Ibne Abbas says that Nabi (SAW) said, “The noblest people from amongst my followers are the carriers of the Qur’an and the companions of the night.” (Ibnu Abid Dunyaa)
Sahal bin Sa’aad said, “Jibreel (AS) came to Nabi (SAW) and said, “O Muhammad, live as long as you wish to live, because certainly a time will come when you will have to leave this world. Do whatever you wish and know that Allah will take you to accountability for what you have done. Love whoever you wish and know that you will certainly be separated from him, and know that the honour of a believer lies in his praying in the night and his respect lies in him being independent of what people possess.” (Tabraani)
Abu Umamah Al-Baahili (RA) narrates that Nabi (SAW) said, “Make sure that you perform prayers in the night, since it is the habit of the righteous people before you and it will take you in proximity to your Sustainer, and it will remit your evil doings (minor), and it will prevent you from committing sins.” (Tirmidhi, Haakim and he says that it fits the conditions of Bukhari)
This Hadith is narrated in Tirmidhi from Bilal (RA) and in Tabraani from Salmaan (RA), they said that Nabi (SAW) said, “Make it your duty to perform prayers in the night, because it is the habit if the righteous people before you and it will take you close to your Sustainer and it will remit your sins and it will take away sicknesses from the body.”
Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa’eed (RA) both say that Nabi (SAW) said, “Whoever wakes up at night and wakes his family up, then they both perform two Rak’aats of Salaah, they will be written from amongst those males and females who remember Allah excessively.” (Abu Dawood, Nasaai, Ibnu Majah, Ibnu Hibbaan Haakim and he says that it fits the conditions of Bukhari)
Abu Hurairah (RA) said that Nabi (SAW) said, “May Allah have mercy on a man who stands in the night and prays and wakes up his wife and she also prays and if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. May Allah have mercy on a woman who gets up in the night and prays and she wakes up her husband, and if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face.” (Abu Dawood, Nasaai, Ibnu Majah, Ibnu Khuzaimah, Ibnu Hibbaan and he said that it is correct according to the conditions of Muslim)
Abu Maalik Al-Ash’ari (RA) says that Nabi (SAW) said, “There is no person that stands up in the night and he wakes up his wife, and if sleep overpowers her, he sprinkles water on her face. Then they both stand up in their home and remember Allah for a while, except that Allah forgives both of them. (Tabraani)
Amr bin Abasa narrates that he certainly heard Nabi (SAW) saying, “the closest that Allah is to a servant is in the last portion of the night. So if you have the ability to be from amongst those who remember Allah in that period of time, then be.” (Tirmidhi, Ibnu Khuzaimah)
Ibne Abbas said that the Nabi (SA W) said, “Whoever passes the night with a little to eat and drink and stands in prayers, the damsels of paradise gather around him until morning.” (Tabraani)
Ibne Umar (RA) narrates that Nabi (SAW) said, “Jealousy is not permitted except in respect of two persons, a person who Allah blesses with the recitation and he remains engaged in reciting it in portions of the night and day, and another person who is given a lot of wealth by Allah and he spends it by night and day.” (Bukhari, Tirmidhi, Nasaai)
Abdullah bin Umar (RA) reports that Nabi (SAW) said, “The fast and the Qur’an both intercede for the obedient person. The fast submits, O Allah! I prevented him from eating and drinking during the day, so You accept my intercession on his behalf, and the Holy Qur’an says, O Allah! I denied him sleep at night, so You accept my intercession for him.’ Consequently, the intercession of both of them is accepted.” (Ahmad, Ibnu Abid Dunyaa, Tabraani, Haakim and he says that it is correct on the conditions of Muslim)
Abu Hurairah (RA) reports that Nabi (SAW) said, “Whoever recites one hundred Aayaat in a night in Salaah, is not reckoned amongst the neglectful, and whoever recites two hundred Aayaat in Salaat in a night, is written amongst the obedient and sincere ones.” (Ibnu Khuzaimah, Haakim and he says that it is correct according to the conditions of Muslim)
Abdullah bin Abi Qais says that Aisha (RA) said, “Do not leave out praying in the night, because certainly Nabi (SAW) did not leave it. If he (SAW) became sick, or was tired, he prayed sitting.” (Abu Dawood, Ibnu Khuzaimah)
Jaabir bin Abdullah (RA) reports that Nabi (SAW) said, “Ummu Sulaiman bin Dawood said to Sulaiman, O my beloved son, do not sleep too much at night, because excessive sleep at night will leave a person poor on the day of Judgment.” (Ibnu Majah)
Abdullah bin Mas’ood (RA) says, “written in the Tauraat is that Allah has prepared for those who separate their sides from their beds at night what no eyes has ever seen and no ears have ever heard and it has not crossed the heart of man, and the close angels do not even know of it, and a Nabi does not even know of it. He said, And we will recite it, “Well, no soul knows what things for the coolness of the eyes is kept concealed for them; a recompense for their deeds.” (Surah Sajdah, verse 17)(Haakim)
And Allah Ta’ala knows best
Nezaam bin Yahya Ali
Attested to as correct by:
Mufti Muhammad Ashraf
Darul Iftaa
Jameah Mahmoodiyah
Springs
15 August 2005
09 Rajab 1426